High school teachers say they will not take job action until Monday because officials with the Ontario Secondary School Federation continue to negotiate with government officials.
Teachers were expected to launch their latest salvo Wednesday in their ongoing labour dispute with Ontario’s Liberal government over Bill 115.
Bill 115 has frozen the wages of public school teachers and support staff, and stripped them their collective bargaining rights, effectively barring them from striking or being locked out for two years.
In its latest effort to protest the bill, OSSTF members planned to take "selective" strike action on Wednesday that would affect schools in Toronto and other regions.
But late Tuesday night, the OSSTF sent out a news release saying its members would keep talking in an effort to reach a compromise.
"A commitment has been made to meet on Nov. 7 to proceed in an expeditious and efficient manner and fast track to potential resolutions," the news release said. "With that commitment, the OSSTF will delay the commencement of sanctions until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012."
If teachers do decide to take job action, high school teachers are being asked not fill in for absent colleagues, take part in provincial standardized tests or talk to parents after hours, meaning parent-teacher interviews may have to take place during school hours.
OSSTF president Ken Coran said the job action will affect high school teachers' administrative duties, not school curriculum.
“They will pull back on some things that are more of an administrative matter,” he said.
Mid-term report cards will go out as they normally do, the union said.
The province says it is monitoring the situation and assessing its options.
In response to the planned job action, Toronto District School Board says its top priorities are to “ensure safety of students and (maintain) the integrity of the learning day.”
High schools are changing their schedules in response to the union's plan.
“Late starts/early dismissals will change to regular class day schedules to ensure there is teacher coverage and students are safe,” the TDSB tweeted Tuesday.
On Tuesday, members of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario handed out leaflets to parents outside a Whitby school, urging them to contact their local MPP and demand Bill 115 be repealed.
The leaflets were made available to all teachers in Ontario about two weeks ago, an ETFO spokeswoman said.
Teachers are handing them out at several schools in Durham Region, the union said.
With files from CP24 reporter Rena Heer
@ChrisKitching is on Twitter. Don't forget, for instant breaking news, follow @CP24 on Twitter.
